Looking for some interesting roadside sights that have a snacks and treats type of theme? Or how about many of the favorite snacks
and treats locales in Florida. If so, then you can see them here at Roadside Peek'sSnacks and Stuff Florida.
Down Home Ice Works (Gone)
Memphis, TN Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf
Take a stroll down Beale Street and you'll find plenty of neon competing for your attention. A few years back, one of those colorful signs belonged to Down Home Ice Works, inviting visitors in for a shaved ice while they explored Memphis' famous entertainment district.
The sign fit right in among the bright lights of Beale Street, especially after dark when the street came alive. It even made a brief appearance in television stock footage, including scenes used in the series Going to California. Whether you stopped in for a cool treat or just admired the glowing sign on your evening walk, it was another fun piece of the Beale Street experience.
UPDATE: Down Home Ice Works closed sometime after 2007, and the sign has since been removed as the storefront became home to other businesses. 08-26
Dairy Queen (Gone)
Macon, GA Photo courtesy Doug Harvey
Here is one of the older "barn style" Dairy Queens in Macon GA, complete with the dairy maid weather vane. Many thanks to Doug Harvey for info. 04-06
Driving through Macon, this old Dairy Queen was the kind of place that made it easy to ease off the gas for a closer look. The familiar barn-style roof stood out from the newer fast-food buildings, and the little dairy maid weather vane perched on top was a detail that seemed to belong to another era. 04-06
These older Dairy Queens were once a common sight along America's highways, serving soft-serve cones, Blizzards, and cold treats to generations of travelers. As the chain modernized, most of the original buildings disappeared beneath remodels or were replaced altogether. Finding one that still looked like this had become a treat in itself.
Dairy Queen
Macon, GA Photo courtesy Doug Harvey
The building had plenty of roadside personality. Between the gambrel roof, the vintage design, and that weather vane turning in the breeze, it looked more like a roadside landmark than a fast-food restaurant. It's the kind of place that could bring back memories of family road trips, especially on a hot Georgia afternoon when an ice cream cone sounded like the perfect excuse to pull over.
UPDATE: The old barn-style Dairy Queen has since been remodeled for another business. The original Dairy Queen signs and the rooftop dairy maid weather vane are no longer there. 08-26
Baby Jim's Snack Bar (Demolished)
Culpeper, VA Photo courtesy Richard Ibsen
Take a drive through Culpeper and it's hard not to smile when you spot the little chef waving from the sign at Baby Jim's Snack Bar. Roadside signs featuring cooks and waitresses used to be everywhere, but a baby chef? That's something you don't see every day. 02-06
The cheerful sign had been welcoming hungry travelers for decades. Baby Jim's opened in 1947 and moved to this location in 1952, becoming one of Culpeper's best-known hometown eateries. The little diner was also famous for its old-fashioned house rules posted inside, reminding customers there would be no loud talking, no loafing, and no foul language.
The sign easily stole the show, though. With its bright colors and smiling baby chef high above the street, it was the kind of roadside landmark that made passing motorists take a second look. Places like this gave every town a little personality and made road trips a lot more interesting.
UPDATE: Baby Jim's was destroyed by a fire in 2023, and the longtime restaurant was later demolished. The familiar roadside sign is no longer standing at the site. 08-26
Kay's Ice Cream (Gone)
Jefferson City, TN Photo courtesy Doug Harvey
Folks living in east Tennessee will remember Kay's Ice Cream and how food shoppes used to be in every town during the 60's and 70's. It now appears that just one Kay's (in Maryville, TN) still remains. This Old sign in Jefferson City, TN still stands but for how much longer? Many thanks to Doug Harvey for info. 04-06
Some roadside signs just make you hungry, and this one definitely does. The tall sign at Kay's Ice Cream was impossible to miss as you drove through Jefferson City, promising ice cream, burgers, and a quick stop before getting back on the road. 04-06
Kay's was part of a regional chain that got its start in Chattanooga in 1934, and for years these little ice cream shops were a familiar sight around Tennessee. Whether you came for a cone, a shake, crinkle-cut fries, or one of the daily lunch specials, it had the kind of small-town charm that fit perfectly along the roadside.
When this photo was taken, the vintage sign was still standing, but it already looked like one of those landmarks that might not be around much longer. Thankfully, it was captured before another piece of roadside Americana quietly disappeared.
UPDATE: The old Kay's building has since been remodeled for other businesses, and the familiar roadside sign has been removed. The last remaining Kay's restaurant closed in 2017, bringing an end to the longtime regional chain. 08-26
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (Gone)
Chattanooga, TN Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Need a sugar fix? This old Krispy Kreme Doughnuts on Brainerd Road was one of those places that could make a driver hungry before even pulling into the parking lot. The classic building, topped with its distinctive cupola and spinning oval rooftop sign, looked like something straight out of the golden age of the American roadside. 06-06
This wasn't just another doughnut shop. The Chattanooga location played a small but memorable role in Krispy Kreme history. During the late 1970s, the idea for the famous "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was developed here, letting passing motorists know a fresh batch had just come off the line. It's hard to imagine a better way to lure people off the highway.
UPDATE: The original building was demolished in 2016 and replaced with a modern Krispy Kreme. The rooftop sign and classic architecture are no longer part of the roadside scene. 08-26
Down Home Ice Works (Gone)
Dairy Queen (Gone)
Dairy Queen
Baby Jim's Snack Bar (Demolished)
Kay's Ice Cream (Gone)
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (Gone)
